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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
MIDLANDS provincial magistrate Mrs Phathekile Msipa has ordered an inquest into the death of a five months pregnant woman following a suspected abortion, minutes after eloping to her boyfriend.

Eunice Machava (20) of Village 42 in Chiodza, Chirumanzu developed stomach pains after drinking tea that had been prepared by her boyfriend Saul Mandiki (35), a week after she eloped to his home in Mvuma.

Eunice and Mandiki were in love for a week and she eloped and the man claims that even though she had been impregnated by another man, he had accepted her.

Mrs Msipa ruled that an inquest into the death of Eunice should be opened to ascertain how her life was lost. “An inquest into the death of Eunice Machava should be held,” she said.

In an affidavit before the court, Eunice’s elder sister Loice (26) said on April 30, she talked to her sibling on the phone and she told her that she was experiencing stomach pains after allegedly drinking a concoction to abort the pregnancy.

“On April 30 at around 7:30PM, the now deceased phoned me advising me that she was experiencing stomach pains after drinking a concoction with the intention to abort. I went off line after I ran out of airtime. On May 2 at around 3PM I was phoned by Saul Mandiki informing me that the now deceased had passed away,” said Loice.

Mandiki, who is employed as a domestic worker in Mvuma, said in an affidavit, he fell in love with Eunice who was five months pregnant on April 24.

He said even though the woman had been impregnated by another man, he accepted her.

Mandiki said on the same day that Eunice eloped, she died.

“On May 1 the now deceased came to my house and I welcomed her with warm hands. Upon arrival she was complaining of the cold weather and I gave her warm water to bath whilst I was making her some tea. After bathing she came and drank two cups of tea and a few minutes later she started complaining of stomach pains and she ordered me to go and call her former employer to come and help but I told her that she wasn’t home since I didn’t find her when I went to collect her clothes earlier,” said Mandiki.

He said her condition later deteriorated.

Mandiki said he rushed to their neighbour to ask for help to no avail.

“I went back home and found the now deceased lying dead in the blankets in a pool of blood and a pre-mature baby wrapped in a piece of cloth,” he said.

According to a post mortem report, Eunice died of suspected abortion.

@pchitumba1